FSWS: Frostbows
by PriestessAmy
Summary: Ruby has already been granted the powers of the Fall Maiden. Ozpin has decided that perhaps it is time to shake things up. The girls of RWBY are introduced to the other Maidens with the intention of passing on their powers in case of an emergency. Can such a drastic move really work? A sequel to PRSM.
1. New Way to be Human

Ruby stepped into the elevator with her team and leaned up against the wall, adjusting her new outfit for the millionth time. With all of them in their altered clothing, it felt like they were becoming a proper team, growing up, all that stuff you were supposed to do. Yang leaned up next to her, looking just oh-so-cool in her coat. "So c'mon sis, spill. Ozpin must have told you something. Or Qrow? He has a way of letting too much information slip."

Ruby shrugged and shook her head. "Seriously, not a dang word. I kinda hoped we were past all this cloak and dagger stuff. Or maybe they just like making things extra dramatic for us."

Blake smoothed out her own coat and sighed. "I just hope it's for a good reason. I'm not a fan of missing class. It makes me... uneasy."

"I know what you mean. Even if Oobleck can be a bit overbearing, I have to admit I enjoy his lectures. They're... engaging." Weiss crossed her arms, her hip cocking slightly as she waited for the box to climb up to Ozpin's office.

The doors eventually slid open, and Ruby was surprised to see it more populated than she was expecting. Of course Oz was there, and Qrow. But there was also a collection of three women standing nearby, watching them intently as they walked forward and stood before his desk. "You called for us, Professor?"

"Yes, thank you for joining us, girls. Please, take a seat..." Each of them took a chair and settled into it. She really had no clue what to make of this. "I don't want to draw out the mystery any further than I have to. I'd like to introduce you to the other three Maidens."

Four pairs of eyebrows shot up, and the team looked over at the women in disbelief. They were just... here? Now? Standing right there?

The first of them stepped forward. She must have been in her mid-sixties, possibly older. Her white hair was pulled back into a long, tight braid, and she wore a very simple robe. "Hello girls. I've been told a great deal about you. My name is Kori. I'm the current Winter Maiden."

"Hey. Name's Ilanga. I'm the Summer Maiden." Ilanga was a tall, muscular woman with dark skin and a shaved head. She was... an impressive sight to say the least.

The third was a younger girl, a fox faunus with hair dyed a vibrant blue. She waved at them with a cheery grin. "Sup? I'm Hyacinth. Spring. Etc."

Everyone looked back to Oz and Qrow for some kind of explanation. "Isn't it bad for us to all be in the same place at the same time? Isn't that the whole... thing?" Ruby ventured.

Qrow just shrugged, Ozpin shaking his head. "That has long been the preferred method, but I think we can all agree that recent events have taught us that the old ways are not inherently better. So we have decided that it might be time to allow the Maidens to act like they belong together again. An opportunity to make each other stronger. And..." His eyes flicked to the rest of Ruby's team with a little smirk. "And perhaps a chance to try something daring."

Ruby's uncle stepped forward, lightly backhanding his shoulder. "Would you stop with the theatrics already? We want the Maidens to try taking on the rest of you as apprentices. That way, we'll know well ahead of time who is going to inherit their powers. And it will interrupt the plans of anyone else like Cinder and the people that sent her into this city with chaos on their minds."

They all exchanged nervous glances as the news was finally broken. It had been dangerous and shocking enough for just one of them to gain new powers. But an entire team of them? That was a crazy twist. "Um, professor, I appreciate the vote of confidence. But how in the world did you ever reach the conclusion that all of us are the best candidates, just because Ruby got the Fall Maiden powers?" Weiss was saying what they were all thinking. It was part of her job.

Taking a seat back behind his desk, Ozpin looked directly at her, then at the others intently. "In all honesty, I'm sure that if we put our full resources into scanning the entirety of Remnant, we could perhaps find three prime candidates who would fit the role perfectly. But we want to change the tradition. We want the Maidens to know one another, to be prepared to work together to fight large problems."

"Cinder and that dragon were only the beginning. There are more killer Grimm out there, and Cinder definitely had a boss. We need to be prepared for trouble bigger than what we've seen so far." Qrow sounded more serious than Ruby had heard him in a while. It was always pretty scary when he got dark like this. "We need Maidens that are strong, smart, diverse. They have to be able to work in a variety of cities and nations."

"The particulars cannot be ignored either. Each Maiden represents something different. According to legend, the Fall Maiden taught the old man thankfulness. Ruby, you show gratitude on a level I see very rarely. Yang, the Summer Maiden must be bold, the kind to encourage one to step outside their front door. Your uncle assures me that 'when you teach someone to swim, you push them in the water.' Weiss-"

"Like the Winter Maiden I emphasize careful thought and contemplation?"

"No." Weiss' face fell and Ruby reached for her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. "Like the _Spring Maiden_ , you create something from nothing, you have much, but you share it with those around you happily." That was an unexpected announcement. But slowly, her partner started to look even more proud than before.

"Then... You assume that I could be the Winter Maiden?" Blake spoke softly – which admittedly wasn't new, but she sounded unconvinced.

"Yes, Miss Belladonna. You are considerate, quiet, often in your own mind even while present in class or among friends." He looked toward the other women standing nearby and nodded. "This is still ultimately just a trial. Perhaps this shall turn out to be only an experiment. Please don't suddenly adjust any of your lives under the assumption that things are going to change immediately. That being said, I would like you to each take some time getting to know these students, see if our assertions are fitting, try and decide if this is even feasible."

Ruby raised a hand and cleared her throat awkwardly. "Uh, and me?" Amber wasn't around anymore. Who could show her how to use these powers?

Qrow chuckled. "You're stuck with me kiddo. I knew Amber better than most. I can't give you the training she would have. But we can get a rough approximation between the two of us."

Ruby laughed nervously and saluted. "Sounds like a recipe for destruction, should be fun."

"Funny you should say that..." he replied mysteriously.

* * *

Yang's head was still in a bit of a whirl as she and Ilanga stepped across the lawn of Beacon, soaking in the bright sunshine.

"You are troubled."

Yang scoffed and found a sunny bit of grass to settle down onto, and Ilanga happily joined her. It was nice to see that being a Maiden didn't preclude you from just... stretching out and relaxing. "Uh, yeah. It's kinda big."

"Yes. It really is." There was comfort in the honest reply. "The Maiden before me was my auntie. I didn't know that until after she had died. Being told who she was before, having her tell me directly that she might choose to pass her abilities on to me earlier? It would not have been easier, but it would at least have helped the transition. This is why I and the others have chosen to attempt this."

"Hmm, that makes sense. Well, as long as we're not expected to throw ourselves into this immediately." She glanced back at Ilanga, admiring her for a moment. "So what does it mean? Being the... the Maiden of Summer, specifically I mean? Would I get rad magic powers like Ruby?"

Ilanga laughed brightly, throwing her head back and staring up at the sky more intently. "Yes and no? You may find that you take to certain kinds of magic more than others. That comes with time. What I can tell you... Well, do you know the story of the creation of humans?"

* * *

"And so they created mankind, given four specific gifts – knowledge, choice, creation, and destruction." The words rolled off Blake's tongue as easy as anything. She remembered the old stories growing up, when her father would tell her about the forming of mankind, to instill in her the understanding that humans and faunus came from the same core elements.

"Yes. And it is said, in some circles, that when the old man blessed the Maidens, he gave each of them access to one of these four elements. To the Winter Maiden was given the power of knowledge. She taught him patience and understanding, and so he gave her the ultimate insight."

That definitely sounded useful and important to Blake, though she didn't quite understand what 'the power of knowledge' could look like. "I can follow the logic, but... Do you mind me asking you how that translates into a practical application?"

Kori laughed softly, her head nodding with a sage look on her face. "In the beginning, it will be little things. Perfect recall and memory. High attentiveness. Keen perception. Over time, your reasoning will improve, your logical processes. You start being able to read other's minds, even affect their minds, and moving things through telepathy. Like Ilanga, my powers are internal. Hyacinth and Amb- Ruby's powers are external."

* * *

"Okay, so... What exactly does creation mean, then? I mean, for you? In this uh... context?"

Hyacinth looked her over carefully, eyes narrowing dramatically. "Well honestly, I don't know what you're asking _me_ for. You already know all about creating things!" The fox suddenly bounced on her feet, surprising Weiss, causing her to stumble back slightly. "Word has it you've got a genetic semblance that lets you summon up Grimm!"

Weiss nervously scratched at her cheek, looking anywhere but at the diminutive faunus. "I mean, technically speaking? I've managed to conjure... an arm... Winter is way better at it than me.

"Pshaw!" She waved a hand dismissively. "Ohh, someone's big sister is better than them at something. Tale as old as time. You'll get it someday." She bounced again, eyes widening for a moment. "Oh! And healing. Healing is basically small-scale creation, so it's one of the things you figure out PDQ. That being said, I haven't been at this long and I can already do stuff like this..." Hyacinth began whirling her hands through the air over her head and the wind started picking up. They coalesced into a vortex over her head that then turned into a creature of living air – an elemental. "And that's an easy one. If you end up being my successor, you could surpass your big sis in no time!"

Weiss just couldn't help the grin that grew across her face. She and Winter had been growing closer since her sister became an adjunct at Beacon. But a sibling rivalry was a sibling rivalry. And you didn't get this kind of potential edge every day.

* * *

"Choice? The... The power of choice. What even. What is that?" Yang knew she should have been using a more respectful tone with a Maiden. But out of the four possibilities, 'choice' definitely had a ring to it that said 'short straw'.

If Ilanga minded her lack of filter, she didn't show it. Hell, Yang might have almost called her amused. "The power of the Summer Maiden is the most... misleading in name. Your arm. What happened to it?"

"During the fight to save Vale, Blake and I were fighting a terrorist with a nasty edge. I went in full-force and he showed me what happens when you bring a fist to a sword fight." She raised the arm and held it high, spreading out the fingers and staring at the sky through the fingers.

"Suppose you knew absolutely and precisely in that moment what was going to happen. I'll even give you an extra bit of clarification and say that you would also know how things would happen if you did not fight as you had. Your arm would remain whole, this terrorist still defeated, but Blake were injured instead. Would y-?"

She didn't even need her to finish the question. It was easy. "In a heartbeat."

"As would any Summer. We are the impulsive ones who greet the world with hearts open. And so the Summer Maiden is blessed with the most physical ability of any of us. The freedom to make the difficult choice. Our very bodies are under our direct control, allowing us to move faster, hit harder, see sharper, last longer. In time, you even learn to control your own hormones and organs so that you no longer need to worry about hunger pains or exhausted muscles." Ilanga flexed for added effect, and Yang watched in fascination as the muscle grew through sheer force of will.

"That. Is. Awesome!"

* * *

"But uncle Qrowwww... 'Destruction' sounds so negative!"

The old man just rolled his eyes like he usually did when Ruby started getting... tantrum-y. This was nothing new for either of them. "You destroy things all the time, Ruby, don't go getting sanctimonious on me now. But fine, lemme learn you somethin'. You wanna harvest food, you gotta destroy the stuff you don't need. You wanna build a house, you gotta demolish and clear the land first. You wanna save people, sometimes you need to kill someone. You know that better than most."

She pouted, but only because she knew he was right, ruining any further tantrum-ing. "...okay you've got me there..."

"Amber always tried her hardest, figuring out how to balance her lively positivity and the reality of her job. How to be grateful like the first Fall Maiden, but also wield her intense magical abilities for dangerous purposes." He stared off at the horizon wistfully, then looked back at her with a more gentle smile. "And I know you're gonna be just fine. Ever since you were itty bitty, you've always been quick to pick yourself back up when you trip and fall." He clapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

* * *

"So uh... are we doing this?" Back in the girls' dorm, no one seemed to be broaching the subject of the Maidens, so Ruby decided to get the ball rolling. "I mean, I guess I don't have as much of a choice here. But... it would mean so much to have you guys on the journey with me."

Yang offered her usual knife grin. "I'm in. It's a crazy idea, and I love me a crazy idea."

"Likewise. We obviously decided quite some time ago that we had no interest in being mediocre. Perhaps nothing will come of this. It may be some time before we inherit these powers. But I know I would be honored to serve as a Maiden if need be." Blake spoke so calmly. It was clear that her conversation with Kori had gone well.

Even Weiss looked relatively energized. "Yeah, it's... Is it weird that it feels almost easy to do this? It just feels right?" She giggled and leaned against Ruby lightly. "You know, you should probably spend some time with the other Maidens yourself. I get the distinct feeling you and Hyacinth would get along like gangbusters."

"Yeah, Ilanga's a blast. I think you'll enjoy working alongside her."

"Kori really has that whole... cool old lady thing going on."

Ruby considered what they all said before shrugging and cuddling up closer to her partner. "You guys are probably right. But for now? I'm still Team RWBY before I'm Team Maiden."


	2. Red Eyes

Yang was stretched out across the floor of the dorm, face-down. It felt good, doing nothing. She didn't care if the entirety of Beacon walked in on her looking like a lump. Literally nothing mattered. She was completely devoid of energy. No aura, no semblance, she didn't even want to go through the motions of getting herself food. She was fairly certain attempting to do so would cause her poor muscles to riot.

Thankfully, Blake was the only one to see her in her pathetic state. She asked no questions, made no attempt to investigate why Yang looked so worn out. She just curled up next to her, snuggling and petting her gently with a low sigh. "If I never read another sentence in my life, it will be too soon. I don't even mean philosophy or theory. I swear, a single misplaced sign will make my eyes fall out." Blake shifted a little closer and kissed her cheek softly. "I don't ever want to think again. Brain's are for suckers. You can quote me on that, just don't make me read it..."

Yang only managed one sharp laugh, putting the last few ounces of her gumption into putting at least a little effort with snuggling her girlfriend. "If we get dinner, I'm going to need you to feed me. I literally will not be able to lift a burger up to my mouth under my own power. It's not like I even get to complain because Ilanga has been fighting me with her powers. She's just... a monster. We finish round fifty, and boom, time for round fifty one. Remind me to start taping my knuckles next time. And also my everything else." A thought occurred to her and she began groaning pathetically. "I have so much homework to doooo-oo-ooooo... Blaaakiiieee... write my paper for me?"

Blake chuckled, which at least felt like kind of a win. Right now, Yang was going to have to survive on tiny victories. "Sorry, hon. It's going to be enough of a struggle just doing my required reading tonight. If Kori keeps forcing me to read massive tomes in the library, I'm going to end up needing glasses."

"On the plus side... you'd look real real good in glasses." Yang grinned, but even straining her face muscles was too much and she had to satisfy herself for a smile that only lasted half a second.

Blake silenced her shameless flirting with a kiss. "I'll bear that in mind."

* * *

"I just... You shouldn't be able to get sick of something like that! My eyes glow. I shoot fire from my palms and lightning from my fingertips. But Qrow runs so many drills with me that I actually feel bored! I-I yearn for the day when all I had was Crescent Rose and some Dust rounds." Ruby sighed and cupped her hands around the warm mug in front of her. "I'm excited to be a Maiden. And I get that they wanna actually have some sense of control over the future of the powers. But... I'm afraid they're going overboard now. We still have so much stuff left to learn here at Beacon. And they're trying to cram in all this extra stuff..."

Weiss nodded sagely, clutching at her own mug in much the same manner. "The first time I did a successful summoning for Hyacinth, I felt so excited. Then, she decimated my Grimm with a monster of her own and told me to do it again. I thought she seemed so peppy and excited. But she's got... one hell of a dark side to her..." Weiss visibly shivered and Ruby reached over to lay a hand on top of her own. "I-I shouldn't complain. It's good to finally be summoning things. And I still think it would be amazing for all of us to be Maidens."

"We're still kids, complaining is, like, a full quarter of our repertoire. Besides, it seems like they're working all four of us pretty hard. Maybe there's still time to convince everyone to tone it down."

* * *

To Blake's surprise, Yang hadn't been kidding. In the cafeteria, the unstoppable force sat with her upper body splayed out across the table while she encouraged her to chew on small bits of food. She actually had to feed her. It might have almost been cute or sweet if it weren't kind of sad.

They were joined by the members of Team MRPN who all looked at the scene with various shades of confusion and amusement. "So then, is this related to the rather large matter that none of us are allowed to know about?" Pyrrha spoke with a tiny smirk, obviously aware that it would only be too long before practically everyone knew the truth.

"Let's just say that... Yang has been participating in some very intensive training lately. We all have..."

Marigold sat down across from them with a sympathetic smile. "Honestly? It always feels kind of unfair. I know you guys have earned it, but you always seem to be forced up onto these high pedestals. It's hardly any wonder you're so exhausted."

Yang chewed her way through a hunk of burger before mumbling softly, "I like heights..."

No one quite seemed to understand what that actually meant, and Blake looked at them apologetically. "I believe what my partner is attempting to say is that all four of us are completely incapable of saying no. We each have things to prove, either to ourselves or someone else. And that means willingly accepting each new challenge that comes our way." Her eyes flicked down to glance at Yang who, at any rate, didn't seemed to disagree with her. "I'm sorry, I wish we didn't have to be quite so evasive about everything. No doubt someday we'll be able to tell all our ridiculous stories."

* * *

Weiss looked around at a dorm full of miserable girlfriends, frowning. It wasn't like she had held any foolish ideas that this would be easy. You didn't get invited to potentially join a secret crew of mystical warriors without putting in the necessary hours. But this wasn't doing anybody any good. "There's no point in training this hard if we all feel like we're going to die. Look, they want us to meet up with them tomorrow anyway for a progress report, we just have to be firm!"

"Snowflake, I am jelly, I am literally the opposite of firm..." Yang had apparently been in a semi-conscious state with Blake taking care of her all afternoon and evening. It was sweet, but also kinda sad.

Weiss was still busy taking care of Ruby herself, so she could sympathize. The poor doofus was currently curled up with her head in her lap. "Okay well... We just have to stand our... Um, I mean we need to flex... Oh dear, I'm running out of metaphors here."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and our poor shattered bodies and brains will speak for themselves," Ruby mused, slightly muffled by her skirts.

Blake idly ran her fingers through Yang's mane. "Generations of Maidens have come before them without this kind of rigorous training and survived just fine. Obviously we just need to make it clear to them that we're not comfortable with this level of work on top of everything else we have to do. After all, if we stick together and agree that we're not ready, they can't... force us to keep up this schedule."

"Great news for you guys but I'm still stuck... I'm a Maiden regardless..." came another murmur from poor Ruby, and Weiss began to scratch her head gently in an attempt to soothe her.

"Yeah, but this is Qrow we're talking about. You told me yourself, he has too much wanderlust – and, apparently, regular lust – to stay in one place for too long. Things will be back to normal before you know it!"

* * *

"Ruby's a good kid with a ton of potential. No real question from me. She's got her mom's blood in her. She'll be just fine."

"It is clear to me that young Miss Belladonna would have no trouble carrying on the mantle after I am gone."

"Yeah, Weiss is like... I mean, she needs to get that stick o- Uh, what I ought to say... is that if she can overcome her self-consciousness issues from her family, she'd be a killer Spring Maiden."

"Yes, I can confidently say that Yang is more than capable of performing the task, should the need arise. You will not find a mightier or more headstrong warrior."

As much as the four of them appreciated the reviews they were getting, none of that changed what they had talked about over the previous day. They were dead tired and incapable of training another minute. Yang was still only able to keep herself upright, and Blake seemed to be in constant danger of nodding off. Weiss had slept fitfully that night and Ruby was still nursing a few singed fingers after a lightning magic mishap. But that was all the more reason to clarify a few things.

As team leader and the only actual Maiden, she spoke up for them all. "It's wonderful to know that we uh... passed your tests or whatever. But honestly, I don't think we can keep this up. This last week has felt like hell, and it's going to be hard enough getting back on top of our coursework. I'm sorry but... We need a break..."

Ozpin held up his hand to stop her before she said any more. "Thank you for your concern, Miss Rose. That empathy for your friends is part of the reason why you have served so well as a captain, and why you shall become a fine Fall Maiden. The truth is that, with their rulings made, the other Maidens have their own work they must return to as well. Without this experiment, they would be forced to choose a friend or family member to give their gifts to when the moment came. Now they are confident in knowing that someone competent and strong can be depended on instead."

All four of them breathed a sigh of relief, much to the others' amusement. Still, now all that exhaustion was replaced with a twinge of sadness. After all, no one from Team RWBY actually had any bad opinions of the three women. Weiss obviously found Hyacinth amusing, and Yang had nothing but good things to say about Ilanga, and Blake had formed an almost immediate bond with Kori. But Ruby also understood that life was never so easy. Sometimes people had to leave. "Well, we'll be sad to see you go..."

Hyacinth chuckled and gave a non-committal shrug. "Aw, don't talk like that. With any luck, we'll be back to pester you before you know it. But you kids got the right idea. You're still students, and you gotta slay your grades before you can slay bad guys."

Everyone spent some time saying their farewells and there were more than a few tearful hugs – mostly from Ruby for Qrow because feelings were tough. Surprisingly, the Maidens asked to talk to her privately for a few moments before they all took off. They found an empty classroom to use, Ruby popping up on the front desk and looking around at them curiously. "Uh, so... what's up?"

"Your headmaster and uncle are somewhat more nervous talking about specifics. I'm sure it comes as no surprise, but they like their mysteries and secrets too much." Kori held herself a little more straight than normal, looking directly at Ruby. "The truth is that we already know a few small details about the trouble that's out there waiting for us. A woman – a creature, practically – named Salem. Cinder was one of her generals, and I honestly have no way of knowing for certain if she's going to leave her dead as a punishment for failure, or if she'll find some way to resurrect her. But to give you some idea of the dangers, Cinder was her most junior fighter. The others in her employ are even more formidable." She sighed sadly, sharing a glance with the other two Maidens. "Beyond that, we're in the dark. But she is part of the reason we needed to create this plan. I'm almost certain she'll be coming for us soon."

Ilanga nodded solemnly. "We'll do our best to keep you and the rest of your team updated. You deserve to know everything we do. But that also means seeing some pretty nasty things in the near future. Maybe it's time to take things out of the shadows."

"It would be pretty nice to not feel like I'm constantly out of the loop, just once..." Ruby chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck.

Hyacinth clapped a hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Hey, no sweat. You're one of us now, and that means knowing, arguably, way too much. Your team has a really great sense of unity, and I know that if worst comes to worst, our legacy is in good hands."

Ruby wanted to feel good about this conversation. She wanted to feel confident about the idea that her new friends would survive, that her own sibling and girlfriends would never have to be called upon to take up such massive responsibilities. But there was a dark cloud hanging over this conversation that might never leave her alone. "I hope so..."


	3. Golden

Weiss quietly sipped her tea, glancing across the little table at her big sister. This was... weird. Life was weird lately. Maybe that was an understatement. Everything with the team, and the tournament, the big attack, the maidens, Winter staying at Beacon, and more... It was a lot. But strangest of all was the fact that they were really getting along now. Not just being pleasant with one another, but legitimately enjoying one another's company. Somehow, the two elder Schnee girls had become black sheep.

"So, how are things with your g-" Winter stopped herself and tried again. "How is your team doing? I hear there are exciting things in the works."

 _Was she about to ask me how my girlfriends were doing? Jeez, Winter, you're allowed to just say it._ "You can't keep a secret at this school... Yeah, there are uh... plans to include everyone in RWBY in this entire... maiden business." She swallowed, wondering in the moment if this might end up making Winter jealous of her. That would be a shame, after how much progress they had made.

Luckily, her sister mostly just looked pleased, perhaps even proud. "That's amazing. I knew Ozpin liked to keep his secrets, but I never imagined he would have something so impressive waiting in the wings. I wonder if Glynda knew..."

At that, it was Weiss' turn to look a bit proud, and rather amused on top of it. "Ah yes, and how are things with the two of you?"

"F-Fine. They're... lovely." From anyone else, that might have sounded like someone trying to hide bad news. But Weiss felt like she knew her sister well enough to see that she was actually trying to hide good news. As it turned out, the two women had been in their relationship for quite some time, and had never felt comfortable letting it be very public. But again, secrets never stayed hidden forever in this place. "But what about you! Three girlfriends, yes? I assumed that father would be displeased with me for... cavorting with an instructor at Beacon, not to mention essentially becoming one myself. I imagine he must be a good deal more frustrated with you."

"You have no idea. He had all these plans for me whenever I visited next – performing at some charity function, being sold off to some rich heir or something. The phrase 'don't come home' may not have come up, but I do know a little bit about reading between the lines."

Winter huffed softly. "Well then, when the holidays come around, perhaps the two of us can huddle together in my meager apartment and... make do."

Weiss giggled softly, raising her tea cup in a small toast. "The Schnee sisters 'making do'. What a time to be alive."

* * *

In time, their pleasantries came to an end, but that was not the end of their day together. Weiss, knowing she needed to get better at using her semblance, has asked Winter to help train her. The two of them found a nice, unoccupied space on the Beacon grounds and took their positions. The elder sister began, opening a wide glyph on the ground and summoning up a cluster of small nevermores that all took flight in a formation that was practically military.

Weiss drove Myrtenaster into the ground, creating her own glyph. A large, armored arm grew out of it, pushing into the grass beneath them. She could feel that moment of panic, worrying that she might once again only manage to get a single arm. It took no small amount of focus before a second arm appeared opposite the first, and finally the colossal armor began to pull itself up out of the glyph. With two final booms, the feet found purchase and it stood, formidable, against the flock of birds.

"You weren't kidding. You've progressed so much. Now, to see if you can follow up that display with some tactics."

Weiss didn't bother with banter. She knew she needed focus for all this. Her own summoned creature was powerful but slow. And Winter was no slouch, her birds quick. Moving as fast as possible, the armor swing its sword up, cleaving through one of the nevermores. But there were still more to take down, and already they were circling and taking pot shots at the arma gigas. It went for another swing, but the birds were catching on and evading the blow. She could see some light cracks in the armor forming, but she didn't allow herself to panic.

Seeing where her failures lie, she took a break, and then the arma reached out, grabbing another nevermore and slamming it into the earth beneath them as it dissipated. It grabbed another, doing exactly the same with the other hand. The flock was thinning out, and she felt better now about her chances. Unfortunately, two of the birds collided into the armor from opposite sides, causing a rather visceral cracking sound. Not wanting to draw this out and risk putting it at further risk, she made her final gambit. The gigas grabbed the sword in both hands and went into a powerful whirling motion with it, swirling around and around. The nevermores tried their hardest to swiftly fly about, but the sheer visciousness of it was difficult to counter.

As the last one disappeared into dust, the two of them finally dropped their glyphs. Weiss could swear she saw the slightest hint of effort on her sister's face. "That final gambit was sloppy. But far be it from me to argue with results." She began walking closer, and Weiss wasn't completely sure what to expect. Certainly not for Winter, the ice queen herself, to draw her into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, baby sister. You're growing so fast, and I'm so happy to be here to see it."

"...me too..." she said softly.

As they started to break apart, Weiss was hit with a pain she had never known before in her life. Not even the event that gave her the scar on her face could compare to this. She was burning and freezing and electrified and sick and dizzy all at the same time. She collapsed to her knees, barely able to make out the sound of Winter calling out to her even though she was mere inches away.

When her head finally stopped spinning, she pushed herself up to her feet. The look of concern in Winter's eyes was expected. What was less expected was the circle of arma gigases that stood around them. Seeing them, she knew, as much as it hurt to acknowledge. Something truly bad had happened. The spring maiden was dead.

* * *

Weiss had really tried stay up, doing things, keeping herself busy. But Ruby was clearly pulling on all of her empathy, and her own experience with maiden powers. She refused to take no for an answer, practically shoving Weiss into bed, bundling her up in blankets, putting a cool compress on her forehead. It might have been a little bit insulting, but it was also incredibly sweet. "Okay, I was in the middle of that big battle, so obviously my experiences won't line up exactly with yours. But I'm here for you! I'm gonna help you through this!" The dedication in those silver eyes was overwhelming.

"Ruby, I promise you. I'm just a little dizzy now, but I'm feeling much better."

"Okay well...!" She was starting to pout. Ugh, it was really hard to stay combative with her when she got all pouty. "Then... Then talk to me about... how you're feeling."

Weiss pulled the compress from her forehead and sat up a little bit. "I just told you – dizzy, but fine."

She shook her head and looked into her eyes, almost desperate. "No! Not that. Emotionally, ya know? I mean, this means that Hyacinth is..."

Weiss shut her eyes tightly, her head starting to pound a little bit more. She was certainly excited at the prospect of these powers, but... not at the expense of someone so bright and hopeful. Ruby was right, she had to consider what caused this to happen. Hyacinth couldn't have possibly died by natural means or an accident. "I think I'm... mostly just angry. I need to know what happened. I want to fix this, to honor her memory. Do you think we can... do something about this?"

Ruby smiled, leaning in to kiss her lightly on the cheek. "Yang and Blake are talking with Ozpin right now about the situation. But you're right, we ought to do something."

Waiting for the two of them to get back was kind of interminable. Weiss wanted to get up and do something, get some studying in or... just be productive. But Ruby was quite insistent that she not over-exert herself. So she was forced to just lay there and try to keep herself under control. It couldn't have been more than an hour of course, but it felt like much longer. They came in through the door and immediately went to her side, both of them looking at her with that same level of concern that Ruby had shown. It was as precious as it was exhausting. "Honestly, I appreciate the empathy, but I'm fine. What did Ozpin have to say?"

Blake shared a look with her partner, both of them pausing before actually saying anything. "He um... He was rather adamant. Our studies matter more. I'm sure you can fill in the rest."

Weiss shook her head and started to get up to her feet, and this time Ruby knew better than to try and stop her. "He said what? I'll be the first person to declare the absolute necessity to maintain good grades. But... something bad must have happened to Hyacinth. We can't just let this go!"

The two shared another look, this time Yang looking a little bit pleased with herself. Her face basically screamed 'I told you so'. "Yeah, I sort of thought you might say that. So..."

Blake sighed softly, standing up and holding her scroll up. "So... I gave my parents a call. It was little more than a hunch, a shot in the dark. As it turns out, there was a very mysterious faunus-on-faunus crime earlier today in Menagerie. The White Fang has declared it an internal situation, that they're going to handle it themselves."

Go figure. They had saved the day, and were being tapped to become Maidens, but when it came to just doing some basic recon, they were back to being treated like kids. Was Ozpin once again putting up barriers and stopping them from discovering something? "I know Adam isn't around to take the White Fang on the path to villainy, but you'll forgive me if I don't exactly trust them to offer up the full story when the dust clears, right? It sounds like they want to keep this in-house." Weiss knew she was taking this personally, but she couldn't help it any more. Hyacinth might not have been a friend yet, but she most certainly would have been. She was a lot like Ruby, and she no doubt would have battered her way through any walls she tried to put in the way. Now, that would never happen. It hurt in a way that few other things really could. And she needed answers.

Blake's hand lighted gently on her shoulder, snapping out of her momentary stewing. "Yeah, we... figured you wouldn't want to let this stand. I'm not really happy about it either."

Ruby nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! We owe it to her to look into this. It would hardly be the first time we bent the rules a little bit."

"Hm, a chance to go home, see my parents, figure out why the Fang is still acting weird... But I don't know how in the world we can pull this off. I mean, we could be missing a lot of stuff by just taking off." Blake sighed, sitting down on the edge of the nearest bed.

Yang chuckled softly, sitting down next to her and throwing an arm around her shoulders. "Well, I guess if we're planning on doing something sketchy, we should talk to the two sketchiest people we know."


End file.
